1 City description:
The captivating resort town of Sousse lies on Tunisia's east coast, about two hours’ drive south of the capital, Tunis. Sousse is also favored by Tunisians as a get-away destination, and the friendly inhabitants enjoy mingling with visitors on the sandy beaches and busy promenade. History and monument of the city: The lively city of Sousse was built by the Phoenicians in the ninth century BC. A town that was Punic, Roman and then Muslim, Sousse has retained a great deal of its original character. The town's museum, situated in the old castle or kasbah, is renowned f or its collection of mosaics, masks, statues and other relics of the Roman occupation. There are also several miles of well-preserved ancient Christian catacombs and marble tombs in the town Surrounded by authentic crenellated ramparts, it is dominated on one side by the Great Mosque and an elegant ribat, Sousse’s other great early Islamic monument. This was designed to protect the town from land attacks and was manned by religious soldiers. If you climb the tower, you are rewarded with a magnificent view across the Medina, the port and the Great Mosque. In the southwestern corner of the Medina is the Kasbah, constructed in approximately the ninth century, and the Khalef el Fela watchtower that houses the town’s museum. A warren of narrow covered alleyways nestling below the Ribat, or fort, hide hundreds of colourful shops selling a myriad of local goods from carpets and porcelain to leather bags and olive oil… The proliferation of modern resort hotels along the beachfront has not detracted from the charms of the inner city, and Sousse is still regarded as having probably the finest (though not the largest) old city, or Medina, in Tunisia…
2. faculty/Local Committee
Faculty of medicine Ibn Aljazar: Launched on 11 December 1974 , The faculty of medicine of Sousse is the first to be established in the center of Tunisia. Its mission has always been to promote the medical health care system in that area and to teach students excellent medical skills. Our university is cooperating with European and Canadian ones and more specifically the Faculty of Medicine of Montreal.We are currently holding an exchange project financed by ACDI (CANADA). Associamed –Sousse: A local committee recently launched to become ,incredibly ,the most successful student association in the city of Sousse.Our staff includes creative and active young people who i has achieved ambitious humanitarian and social programs and won’t hesitate a while, to welcome students from all over the world to share with them exciting moments of professional and cultural exchange!
3. Hospitals:
At the sanitary level and in the public sector, the region accounts two university hospitals, one regional hospital, 5 district hospitals, 92 primary care centers and 3 centers for the mother and child protection. In the private sector, the region accounts 4 general-purpose private clinics, one private clinic with single specialty and 323 doctor's offices. SCOPE-sousse offers one month training to undergraduate medical students in Sahloul hospital or Farhat Hached hospital Departments and Wards: Internal Medicine - Cardiology - Surgery - Gynecology Obstetrics Oncology - Clinical Hematology - Pneumology – Dermatology-urology Psychiatry - Endocrinology - Otolaryngology - Ophthalmology -Orthopedics Rheumatology - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Medical Resuscitation Surgical Occupational - Health Hygiene Service - Dental Medicine Resuscitation Epidemiology - Legal Medicine - Radiotherapy - Radiology - Pharmacy
LABORATORIES Pathology - Biochemistry - Hematology – Genetics Microbiology - Hygiene - Physiology – Parasitology
These hospitals have a teaching and training vocation with medical ascendancy, associated with the whole and constant conviction of its professionals of the necessity to get more experience from other colleagues practicing in the rest of the world. This conviction is justified by the particular interest which they grant to the cooperation and partnership. That is why the University Hospital Farhat Hached, for example, concluded bilateral agreements with European University Public Training Hospitals:
4. Boarding/Lodging:
Hosting family.
A Medical Student living in Sousse with voluntarily welcome you in his house. You ll get closer to daily Tunsian life and culture .Incoming during summer will experience Ramadan which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this month ,Tunisians fast from sunrise until sunset. As the fast is carefully observed, many local restaurants and cafes close, however in sousse has a few restaurants that open for tourists.
In the evening, once the fast is over, it is easy to find somewhere that serves a Ramadan dinner. You ll be in Tunisia family during your training , you ll get the chance to enjoy delicious Tunisian meals, often followed by a concert or party. Some cafes stay open late for final meal before the fast begins again at sunrise. So what about Tunsian cuisine? Tunisia’s signature dish is couscous - served with a stew of chunky vegetables, meat or fish in a hot tomato sauce. The most popular recipe is lamb with vegetables and during cooking the couscous is placed above the pot so it absorbs all the flavour of the stew bubbling below. Another tasty dish is kamounia which is aromatic beef or lamb cooked with lots of cumin and other spices. Snacks you’ll find throughout Tunisia are the brik a l’oeuf (an egg fried inside a light pastry parcel) and Deglet Fatima (Fatima’s fingers); thin rolls of transparent pastry filled with egg or meat and then deep-fried.
5. Transportation:
Hosting families can provide with you with transportation. Otherwise, local taxis , buses are inexpensive and readily available.
6. Social Program:
1/During the week: a/ Guided visit in Sousse : Welcoming party , karaoke party Spa and thalassotherapy Medina and El kantaoui port. Madinat al Zahra Sunbathing and sightseeing! b/Sightseeing and sunbathing: Sousse is an ideal resort for a relaxing beach holiday, with golden sand and excellent water sport facilities. c/ Spa and thalassotherapy: Tunisia is renowned for its luxury Spas and the range of treatments they offer. d/ Golf : El kantawi golf course is an international course next to the sea , open to all the Golf lover! e/Night Clubs,Pubs and casinos: There’s a great deal more to nightlife in Tunisia than the hotel disco! Venture into Port el Kantaoui, Sousse, and elsewhere, and you’ll find numerous lively bars and clubs which are open all night and serve up a good party. f/ Monastir: Originally built as a trading post by the Phoenicians and then taken over by the Romans under the mane of Ruspina, Monastir became important again in the eight century with the establishment of its fortified ribat, an imposing defense against seafaring invaders. The town is home to the family mausoleum of former president Habib Bourguiba. Its gold and green domes and gilt-tipped minarets are particularly beautiful at night, when the mausoleum is illuminated.
2-Weekend Programs:
a/ Weekend 1:
Mahdia: As you can wander Mahdia, the old capital of Tunisia, you will find many remarkable examples of architecture, including the ‘ribats’ (fortified Islamic monasteries), which stand as a reminder of the region’s past when it was under constant threat from Christian invaders and piracy. Amphitheatre of El Jem : The power and glory of Imperial Rome can be easily seen in the small village of El Jem, where the impressive ruins of the largest colosseum in North Africa can be found. This huge 3rd century amphitheatre once held up to 35,000 spectators, and still attracts and amazes thousands of people today. Kairouan: Founded in 670, Kairouan is a principal holy city of Islam. Its rich architectural heritage includes the Great Mosque and the Mosque of the Three Gates that date back to the 9th century.
b/Weekend 2 :
You can stroll down to a café along a tree-lined boulevard that feels like the French Riviera, then enter an imposing city gate and suddenly be in an exotic souk that bustles with life and colour. Explore the area surrounding Tunis and you’ll discover the more surprising contrasts are close at hand, from the magnificent ruins of ancient Carthage, to the pretty blue-and-white artist village of Sidi Bou Said and the stunning beaches of Gammarth. Tunis, Tunisia’s capital, and its surroundings which (making up a region known as Greater Tunis) are located in the northeast of the country, around Tunis Lake. Essentially a large shallow lagoon, the lake is mainly used as a port today, but occasionally becomes the setting for other recreational events and activities, such as rowing regattas. An intriguing melting pot of cultural traditions and architectural styles, where the historic districts of the medina complement the modern, cosmopolitan metropolis, the city itself offers a tantalizing taste of everything the country has to offer. From the shisha pipes and Turkish coffees you can try in the cafes to the Baroque and Renaissance style buildings you can marvel at in Ville Nouvelle. However, venture beyond the city centre and you’ll discover there is much to engage and astonish the even the most seasoned explorer, making a tour of your fabulous surroundings unmissable.
You’ll find Hammamet has some of the best beaches in Tunisia. But a walk round the walled medina, visiting the kasbah and the lively souk is also a must. Known as the ‘garden of Tunisia’, the Cap Bon Peninsula offers unique historic sites, from legendary Carthage to the ruins of Kerkouane. Barely 87 miles from Sicily, the Cap Bon peninsula successfully juggles agriculture (the region’s principal industry) with the international attraction of its historic ruins and outstanding beaches. Here you’ll find the old fort and bustling harbour of La Goulette, which back in the 16th century was a stronghold for pirates, along with many thriving citrus farms, which, with their fresh and intoxicating perfume filling the air, you’ll smell long before you see.
c/Weekend 3 :
The Great South: For a real Arabian adventure, there are the camel treks and Bedouin camping excursion . There is also a 'baptism of the air' - a hot air balloon or microlight trip that give you a bird’s eye view of the desert for a relatively small fee – a hot-air balloon flight over the Sahara just as the sun is rising is one spectacle no-one should miss if they have the chance.
For a truly memorable experience, take a 4x4 safari (hire them out or bring your own!) across the shimmering Chott El Jerid salt lake, one of the principal locations in the Oscar winning film The English Patient (the famous Star Wars locations are on the opposite shore, and many companies run 4x4 rides to visit both).
And for the speed-freaks, you can hire a quad bike to go bouncing and hurtling over the dunes - an opportunity not be missed! Quad bikes always travel in packs with an experienced leader.